The New York Jets have added some much needed Brutus Beefcake on the defensive side of the ball.
ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler shared on social media that the Jets are signing Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Derrick Nnadi.
Defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, multi-time Super Bowl winner with the #Chiefs, is signing with the #Jets, per his agency @_SportsTrust
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 16, 2025
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Nnadi is a three-time Super Bowl champion from his time in Kansas City. He is listed at 6-foot-1 and tips the scales at 317 pounds.
This Is Exactly What the Doctor Ordered for the Jets Defense
One of the Jets’ biggest needs heading into this offseason was at the defensive tackle position.
Quinnen Williams is a superstar but he can’t do it by himself. This past season the Jets invested in the wrong guys on the defensive line and it cost the team dearly.
So far in free agency the Jets have added lesser names like Jay Tufele, Byron Cowart, and Rashad Weaver to the D-Line room. Maybe the coaching staff can get more out of them than their previous stops but that isn’t guaranteed.
What the team really needed is bigger names who are proven entities. The Jets finally acquired that on Sunday, March 16.
Nnadi, 28, originally entered the league as the No. 75 overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Chiefs before signing with the Jets this offseason.
During his time in the league, Nnadi has appeared in 115 games and has made 87 starts. He has racked up 233 total tackles, an interception, eight quarterback hits, and seven tackles for loss.
Since entering the league, Nnadi had been a full time starter with the Chiefs. That changed this past season in Kansas City. He appeared in all 17 games, but only made one start.
Nnadi only appeared in 20% of the defensive snaps, but that number is expected to increase dramatically on the Jets in 2025.
The Jets Work Isn’t Close to Being Done on the Defensive Line
Nnadi won’t be the only answer at defensive tackle. The Jets will have to continue to comb through the options in the second and third waves of free agency. Plus the 2025 NFL draft is incredibly deep on the defensive line specifically at defensive tackle.
Longtime NFL scout and current NFL Network television analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes this is a rare class on the interior defensive line.
“Last year at this time, I had potential starter grades on 12 DT’s. This year I have 24 of them. Ridiculous amount of depth at the position in this draft class,” Jeremiah explained on X previously Twitter.
Last year at this time, I had potential starter grades on 12 DT’s. This year I have 24 of them. Ridiculous amount of depth at the position in this draft class.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 11, 2025
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A sneaky need for the Jets this offseason is at pass rusher. The Jets boast a pair of bookends in Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson. However Johnson is coming off of a blown Achilles and you never know how a player will bounce back from that.
Even if he comes back fully healthy, the Jets are going to need a reliable third EDGE to fill out the rotation. When you evaluate the roster there isn’t a player that stands out as an obvious fit for that spot.
Gang Green will have to vet through free agency and the draft to find some answers.
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